


Soft Time

by Sasam



Category: DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 22:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21088730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasam/pseuds/Sasam
Summary: Prompt fic: "Is there a reason you keep hugging me?"It's fluffy cuddles, then and now. Before and after. Gratuitous fluff.





	Soft Time

Raven feels arms wrap around her and the warmth of another body press against her back and locks of long golden hair drift into her vision. She’s hit by the smell of moss and earth, the morning dew on grass as well as the noxious mixture of cigarettes and sea brine. Only Tara has ever had this unique combination of smells. Of all the Titans and other heroes and villains Raven had met there was no one who smelled quite like Tara. Not that Raven made an attempt to smell those around her, it was just another of her enhanced senses she carried over from her demon heritage.

Raven had known it was Tara before she had found her in the living room however. Far before Tara got close enough to cling to her back the way the smell of her secret smokes stuck to Tara’s clothes. She had been able to feel Tara since she had entered the tower, her distinct emotional pattern of chaotic anxiety and guilt angrily tearing at each other.

Usually knowing that someone was coming to intentionally invade her personal space was severely off putting for Raven. However she had begun to make an exception after the first accidental incident when Tara had fallen asleep on the couch Raven had already claimed as a bed. The way Tara’s negativity seemed to have melted away and the way she had almost shone with joy for the first time since coming to the tower had Raven decide to give her a pass, she never told Tara of course but she caught on fairly fast and began to seek Raven out whenever they were alone in the tower.

“Is there a reason you’ve been hugging me recently?”

Raven was legitimately curious. It had been an accident the first time yes, but the frequency of follow up hugs and cuddles was genuinely unexpected and strangely out of character to her. She couldn’t for the life of her get a proper read on why Tara was so touchy with her.

“It’s my soft time. I’m always dealing with hard rough things. Rocks, dirt, villains. But you’re so nice and soft, it feels nice to hold you.”

“Villains?”

Tara hesitated. “Yea, you know like. Punching bad guys and stuff?”

Raven hummed in thought for a moment. “I’ll take it as a compliment that I’m more comfortable than a villain. So do you do this with Gar then? He can be any sort of soft thing you’d want.”

Tara scoffed at that. “Any soft animal sure. But he can’t be you and I want you.”

Raven was glad Tara was still spooning her from behind as it allowed herself to hid her blush in her hood. She feared however that her heartbeat could still be felt hammering away in her chest. How was Tara so forward and brazen about these sorts of things? It wasn’t the same as Kori’s affection which just oozed out of her at all times. With Tara it was more pointed, more organized, more concentrated, yet seemingly also incredibly unintentional. At least in her case. With Gar it was very obviously intentional but it also came across far less authentic due to the conflicting emotions that usually came with her attempts. Raven just wasn’t sure what to make of it all, perhaps she was less in tune with society than she thought or maybe whatever Tara had clearly been dealing with was at play, either way she wasn’t going to press. With the progress they were making maybe Tara would confide in her soon and she’d be able to help more.

* * *

“Hey.” Tara stood at the edge of the couch where Raven sat meditating. Or at least had been meditating.

“Something I can help you with?” Raven tilted her head towards the taller girl but didn’t open her eyes or lower herself from her customary position.

“I was actually wondering… and I know this sounds kind of childish but… could I sleep with you tonight?”

Raven did open her eyes at that, raising one eyebrow questioningly before lowering herself back to her feet.

“Since being back I’ve been having nightmares. Of him. I don’t really know what to do. I just didn’t want to be alone again with that. Just for one night is all I’m asking.” Tara awkward hugged herself and blushed, clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of asking for such a thing.

“You need some soft time?” Raven smirked slightly when Tara groaned.

“God how do you still remember that? That’s so fucking awful. What was I doing back then.”

Tara’s hands tried their best to cover her growing embarrassment but Raven intervened taking them in her own instead. Trying her best not to show her discomfort Tara tilted her head away, cheeks blazing red like one of Raven’s own kin. Slowly she pulled her onto the couch.

“I believe I told you before that I took it as a compliment. That hasn’t changed.” When Tara didn’t respond Raven continued to prompt. “By sleep with me do you mean in the same room? The same bed? Cuddling?”

“I just, don’t want to be alone. When I’m alone I can’t stop thinking of him, of being with him. I can’t...” she cut off as tears began to roll down her face.

Raven reached a hand up behind her head, running her fingers through her short undercut and placed her other hand behind her back pulling Tara into a deep hug. Slowly Tara’s hands found their way around Raven as well and they simply sat there until Tara calmed down.

In that moment as the two clung together amid the buzz of night traffic echoing from outside and the desire to embrace her deeper, to kiss her and tell her how she felt it hit Raven how little Tara had changed over the years. When they were kids she always saw Tara as strong, tall and lithe. Able to kick anyone’s ass and willing to if needed. Raven since then had grown taller than Tara who was practically the same. Where she had once seemed lanky she now seemed overly skinny and under nourished. Too many nights on the street without access to a consistent meal. There in her arms crying over what should never have been Tara just felt so fragile, though she supposed that could also be her enhanced strength coming into play. Either way she didn’t want to hurt Tara more, and she knew now wouldn’t be appropriate if they were to ever have anything healthy. For now she was content to help Tara. She’d maybe tell her tomorrow or the day after, when she was in a better place, where they could discuss things and where it wouldn’t potentially guilt Tara into a choice she didn’t want to make.

“Thanks Raven. You don’t know how much your help- how much you’ve meant to me. Dealing with all of this, and putting up with me and all.” Tara sniffled and held her closer.

Raven felt her chest drop. The plans to confess her feelings were quickly thrown out. She should be better than this, not thinking of taking advantage of Tara when she’s in a vulnerable state. A demon through and through, Tara deserved better.

“Of course.”

Raven sat there awkwardly, she wasn’t sure for how long but soon Tara’s chest rose and fell and she began to breath softly, adrift in sleep. Slowly she lowered the two of them onto her back, Tara sprawled across her and wrapped her cloak around them as a makeshift blanket.

Tara deserved better than a demon, so she would have to prove she could be better than a demon. She would be a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this to be, before they've faced their issues(Before Slade/Trigon fallout). And then post them facing their issues but still trying to come to terms and deal with them. IE Tara still dealing with Slade's conditioning and Raven still dealing with her self hatred regarding her demon heritage. I kind of left it open ended with some Raven self loathing so I wanted to make a point to say, she's working on it. Those are biased feelings and thoughts she's having. They're not healthy. She's not actually taking advantage of Tara. The fact that she's worrying about it is proof enough of that.
> 
> Follow my twitter https://twitter.com/SasamBots and comics Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sasamdcu if you want to see me occasionally screaming about this ship more.


End file.
